Welcome back to Madera!

Hello Madera families!

Though our kids are likely all in deep denial, summer is wrapping up and school starts this week. Tomorrow (Monday) is the orientation for new kindergarten families at 10:00 am and the annual welcome back luncheon for our teachers sponsored by the PTA.

Tuesday, of course, is the first day of school, and on behalf of the PTA we look forward to welcoming all returning and new Madera families back to school. The big question right now, of course, is will there be a teachers strike, and the answer is we don’t know. A strike has been authorized by the Union and they may call a strike before or after Tuesday if they feel that it’s necessary. The district will have substitute teachers on campus and classes will continue in the event of a strike, which we all hope won’t occur.

This is a challenging time for education in California even without a strike, and I’m grateful to be a part of the PTA community that provides such critical support to our students and the Madera community. This year the Madera PTA plans to provide funding for nearly $100,000 in direct support for our schools: supporting programs for reading, science, music, the arts, classroom supplies, technology, and much more. We provide funding for field trips, assemblies, the Madera Garden, school equipment, and other enrichment programs.

None of these programs would be possible without your support, of course. There are many ways that you can contribute to the continuing success of our school and our children:

Join
Become a member of the PTA. Membership is only $10 per person ($20 per couple). PTA membership chair Dina Ultsch will be distributing information about joining soon. Joining the PTA allows you to vote on PTA funding and other decisions (though all are welcome to attend the meetings) and makes the organization a stronger and more effective voice for our children.

Support
Contribute to the PTA direct appeal: Michelle Fadelli is heading up this campaign this year, which provides critical funding for our programs.

Volunteer
Sign up to chair or help with a program or activity– Natalie Borreani and Negar Souza will be on hand when school opens looking for volunteer support. It’s fun, rewarding– and just a few hours help can make a big difference.

Speak up
Come to PTA meetings and participate in the decisions about improving our school. Meetings are on the second Monday of the month- the first is on Monday, September 14th at 7:15 pm. We’ll present the 2009-2010 budget for discussion and adoption and talk about the fall calendar of events and activities.

Many thanks for all that you do- I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!